Suicides suspected in car-fire deaths at Green Acres Mall

The car was found engulfed in flames in the Sears parking garage at the Green Acres mall on April 9.

Mike Daly/Herald

By Nick Ciccone

Nassau County police said there was no criminal activity involved in the death of two women found inside a burned car at the Green Acres Mall on Sunday night.

Investigators at the scene believed it to be a double suicide after using security camera footage to piece together details of the incident, according to Valley Stream Fire Chief James Ervolino. Both victims were from Valley Stream, Ervolino said, adding that one of them was in her late 30s, and he wasn’t sure about the other woman’s age.

Police said in a news release that the Nassau County Medical Examiner determined that both victims were female, which contradicted earlier reports that one was a man — and initial reports that the car had only one occupant.

Police did not release details about the location of the bodies inside the car or the make and model of the vehicle, but said that the investigation would continue.

County detectives requested that anyone with information about the incident contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 244-TIPS. All callers remain anonymous.